The Kiss
by neesie-pie
Summary: An alternate take on Oscar and Jaime; how it began, way back when...


**The Kiss**

While in Los Angeles for a series of meetings, Oscar arranged to take Jaime out for a Friday night dinner. It would be a pleasant end to an otherwise grueling week for him, and the drive up to Ojai would give him time to decompress. Jaime gladly accepted the invitation; he was one person she truly enjoyed spending time with. They tried to get together whenever circumstance had them both in the same place at the same time, usually managing to schedule at least one evening together either in Washington or in Ojai.

Their relationship was complex. Oscar was alternately Jaime's employer, best friend, mentor, and emotional support system. Their relationship, built on a foundation of trust and respect, was warm and loving but not romantic or intimate. Yet at times there seemed to be something else running just beneath the surface, something too elusive for Jaime to name or comprehend.

On the rare occasions that Oscar's busy schedule permitted it, they might even spend the day together, taking in an exhibit at the Smithsonian or a day trip to Santa Barbara. But their time together always ended on an awkward note; a wonderful evening that might otherwise end in kisses or maybe even an overnight stay, for them would end with a "well, I'd better get going" and a quick hug goodnight. To Jaime it always felt as though someone had switched off the television in the middle of a program.

Their dinner this particular evening had been filled with pleasant conversation and laughter and they were both in high spirits as they left the restaurant. Jaime honestly could not think of anyone whose company she enjoyed more. They pulled up in front of the carriage house, but Jaime was not ready to say goodnight just yet.

"Hey, you know – there's supposed to be a meteor shower starting tonight. I'd love to see it – the balcony would be a perfect spot. Why don't you come on up – we can make a fire, have some dessert, and look for shooting stars."

"I don't know…" Oscar teased, "What kind of dessert?"

"I made a pie", she tempted.

"Okay", he answered quickly and Jaime laughed. They both knew that she could have offered him six-week-old dirty socks and he still would have accepted. He was no more ready for their evening to end than she.

Oscar paused to light a fire in the fireplace and then joined Jaime at the balcony railing, where they stood silently for several minutes, both scanning the sky for blazing chunks of rock. A gentle spring breeze was in the air, keeping the clouds at bay, making for a crystal clear sky.

The romantic potential of the setting was not lost on Oscar. He didn't really know when or how it had happened, but somewhere along the way he had fallen desperately in love with Jaime. For years he had kept his feelings for her hidden away, out of some misguided sense of propriety, ethics, and fear of rejection. Mostly, though, it was out of concern for Jaime - he never wanted her to feel awkward or uncomfortable around him.

But his silence took a toll on his soul. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to express the emotions that were screaming inside of him; the longing for an intimate relationship with her was agonizing. So many times he had wanted to tell her; often he would lay awake at night, lonely for her company, trying to think of a way to express how he felt without jeopardizing their friendship. He had not been able to think of anything, but he knew he had to do something, if only for his own sanity. Either that, or spend the rest of his life in the endless misery of unrequited love.

Jaime's voice stirred him from his thoughts. "Well it's certainly a beautiful sky tonight."

Oscar realized that this gave him the opening he'd been seeking and decided he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to take the chance.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you." His tone echoed the feelings in his heart.

She turned to look at him, stunned by his words and the deeper meaning behind them.

_Go for it, it's now or never, _he thought_. If you go down in flames, if it becomes awkward, you can always apologize and leave and work on making things right again later. At least you'll know. At least you'll have done something, instead of settling for a life of miserable longing. _He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips, then looked deeply into her eyes.

"I love you, Jaime."

There - he had finally said it. After keeping it inside for so long he thought he would feel a wash of relief; instead, he found himself holding his breath, unable to breathe, anxiously awaiting her response. "Please, Jaime…" he begged her silently.

In that instant Jaime knew what her response would be. She had known it all along, really; she just did not know that she knew.

"I love you too, Oscar" she said earnestly, moving into his arms, her lips leaning toward his. Their kiss was long and filled with deep emotion and tenderness.

Feelings that Jaime had long refused to acknowledge came rushing to the surface. Whenever questioned about their relationship, she had always insisted that they were merely close friends, or that he was like a father to her. She now realized that had all been a facade she had constructed, as much for herself as for others.

Gently stroking the side of his face, she looked deeply into his soft brown eyes, "I love you so much".

He smiled and hugged her tightly, nuzzling the curve of her neck. He could not believe that which he had dreamed of for so long had actually happened; that this beautiful young woman that he had fallen so in love with was also in love with him. There would be hell to pay with the Secretary; he might even be forced to resign, but at this moment he could not care less. "I'm the happiest man in the world tonight" he said, his voice just above a whisper.

She held him close, silently thanking whatever god might be responsible. "Let's go back inside - it doesn't look like the meteors are going to show up tonight anyway."

She took Oscar by the hand and led him into the living room, their manner together natural and comfortable, as though this had been their relationship all along. Slipping off his shoes, he reclined on the sofa; Jaime did likewise and snuggled into his arms, playing with the hairs on his chest between the openings in his shirt. They kissed and cuddled and talked softly for a long while, illuminated only by the waning firelight and their own happiness.

Suddenly, Jaime sat bolt upright.

"Oh my gosh!"

"What?" asked Oscar, instantly alarmed.

"I forgot about the pie!"

"Huh?" He was caught off guard by this sudden shift in focus.

Jaime stood up and smiled. "I invited you up here for dessert, remember?"

A wry grin crossed Oscar's face. "I thought that was what we were doing."

Jaime shot him an 'Okay, Mr. Smarty-pants' look and playfully whacked his shoulder. She turned and headed for the kitchen.

The Director of the OSI stood and tried to straighten himself up a bit – shirt half untucked, several top buttons of it undone where Jaime was caressing him. His usual neat appearance was looking rather tousled. He soon gave up and followed her to the kitchen.

Jaime was at the counter cutting slices of pie. In her heart, she was truly delighted by what had occurred; she felt as though a prayer she never knew she had expressed had been answered.

Softly in his stocking feet, Oscar came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, leaning into her and seductively kissing her ear, neck and nape.

The object of this affection was suddenly finding it very difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. Closing her eyes, she set down the knife, enjoying the touch of his lips on her skin, subconsciously pressing herself into him.

In almost a whisper she said to no one in particular, "Or, we could just forget about the pie and go straight to bed."

"Mm-hmm" murmured Oscar. She could feel his soft breath on her skin. He turned her to face him; their eyes met for an instant as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the bed, laying her gently upon it and sidling up next to her.

Their lovemaking left Jaime breathless and deeply happy. They lay together in the afterglow, kissing tenderly, not needing to speak. As Jaime's finger traced the outline of Oscar's strong shoulders, she realized that her life had been changed forever; deep in her soul she knew that this was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. She smiled up at him with a look of radiant joy and love.

The End


End file.
